After ninety-nine online romances, I finally met my ex in person when school started.

The sound of a large-caliber sniper rifle, after being silenced, becomes a muffled, piercing sound.

Jiang Hai fell straight backward, his head hitting the carpet, leaving a trail of blood.

Just a fraction of a second after Jiang Hai fell, a second sharp whooshing sound followed.

The target wasn't Zhu Xunchuan, but Jiang Yao, who had just looked up from her shock.

"Get down!"

Zhu Xun Chuan grabbed Jiang Yao's lower back with his left hand and Lin Chu Xia's white shirt collar with his right. He suddenly pushed off with his feet, flipping himself and the two women over the large mahogany leather sofa and slamming them heavily onto the carpet.

"puff--"

The second bullet grazed Jiang Yao's cheek, instantly piercing the back of the sofa and sending out a shower of shattered down feathers and sponge.

Behind the leather sofa, the space is extremely cramped.

Zhu Xun Chuan knelt on one knee, his upper body arched, his broad back forming a natural barrier.

Jiang Yao was tightly shielded against his chest. Today she was wearing a high-slit, fiery red dress, and having just kicked off her high heels on the sofa, her two long legs, encased in black stockings, had to curl up and tightly grip Zhu Xun Chuan's waist.

She could clearly feel the man's taut abdominal muscles and the scalding heat emanating from under his bathrobe.

When Lin Chuxia was pulled down, she was in an even more disheveled position, falling to Zhu Xunchuan's left.

Her black, deep-V bodycon dress was rolled up more than halfway, and her innocent face turned deathly pale with fright. Instinctively, she reached out and clung tightly to Zhu Xun Chuan's arm, burying her face in his broad shoulder.

"Scumbag, scumbag..." Lin Chuxia's teeth chattered. It was the first time she had seen a brain splatter up close. Her chest heaved violently, and she didn't care how closely she was pressed against him.

"Shut up. Lower your head."

Zhu Xun Chuan lowered his voice and pressed his large left hand on the back of Lin Chu Xia's head.

Although Jiang Yao was used to bloodshed, the real sense of impending death from the bullet grazing her face still left her feeling lingering fear. She wrapped her arms around Zhu Xun Chuan's neck and pressed her face against the crook of his neck.

"Honey, they're after me." Jiang Yao's voice was muffled, and her body trembled uncontrollably.

"With me here, even if the sky falls, it won't hit you."

Zhu Xun Chuan gently patted Jiang Yao's smooth back. The bathrobe had spread open considerably due to the vigorous movement, and the man's masculine scent and the aroma of sandalwood completely enveloped the two women.

Under this imminent threat of death, Zhu Xun Chuan's composure became the most deadly poison. Lin Chu Xia quietly swallowed, snuggled closer to Zhu Xun Chuan, and deliberately rubbed her shapely arms against his arm, trying to claim more space.

Jiang Yao noticed Lin Chuxia's subtle movements. Even while dodging snipers, the Northern Border's young lady's competitive spirit hadn't diminished. She simply opened her mouth and gently bit Zhu Xun Chuan's exposed collarbone.

This kind of extreme, chaotic situation was giving Zhu Xun Chuan a headache.

He reached out and pinched Jiang Yao's chin, stopping her from making any further provocative moves.

On the carpet, Jiang Hai's black candybar phone suddenly vibrated, its screen flickering faintly.

Zhu Xun Chuan stretched out his long arm and retrieved the phone.

Press the answer button.

"Good evening, Brother Chuan."

An unusually gentle voice came from the other end of the phone. It lacked Jiang Tao's manic energy and Jiang Hai's ruthlessness.

This is the voice of Jiang He, the third adopted son of the Jiang family. He is usually the most honest and taciturn person in the main hall, always smiling at everyone he meets.

"Jiang He." Zhu Xun Chuan said coldly.

"That shot missed. Those Russians' marksmanship has deteriorated." Jiang He's voice gradually changed, transforming from gentle to a chillingly fanatical and cloying tone. "Brother Chuan, you're too dazzling. You look so handsome in your bathrobe, but you shouldn't be holding Yao Yao. Yao Yao is mine. Her legs, her hair, every inch of her skin belongs only to me. You've tainted her, and I'll chop your hand off."

The extreme morbidity and severe Stockholm syndrome-like obsession spread through the speakers in the cramped space.

Jiang Yao felt a chill run down her spine, and a strong sense of nausea welled up inside her. She had always thought of Jiang He as a meek and obedient third brother, never imagining that beneath that honest exterior lay a mad dog who had been coveting her for many years.

"Disgusting." Jiang Yao hugged Zhu Xun Chuan tightly, her eyes filled with disgust.

Zhu Xun Chuan felt the woman in his arms tremble. He did not get angry, but the killing intent in his eyes was completely boiling.

"You hired mercenaries to enter the city and kill Jiang Ting, all to prove you're qualified to touch her?" Zhu Xun Chuan asked calmly.

"If I don't kill the old man, and if I don't kill Jiang Tao and Jiang Hai, how can I legitimately keep her captive?" Jiang He chuckled foolishly on the other end of the line. "Brother Chuan, I'll be waiting for you in the air-raid shelter in the north of the city. If you bring Yao Yao along, I won't shoot. Let's play a game."

The phone hangs up.

The sniper stopped firing, and the infrared aiming point outside disappeared.

Zhu Xun Chuan took out his encrypted phone and sent a short text command: "Xiao Bai, clear out the high point of the building opposite the Royal Mansion. Leave no survivors."

Three seconds later, the screen lit up: "Received."

Zhu Xun Chuan pushed the sofa aside and stood up. He casually pulled his loose bathrobe together and re-tied his belt.

Jiang Yao and Lin Chuxia also stood up.

"I'll have someone outside take you back to the hotel. Take a shower and get some sleep." Zhu Xun Chuan took off his suit jacket from the chair next to him and draped it over Jiang Yao's shoulders. He then turned to Lin Chu Xia and said, "Miss Lin, the show's over for tonight. Have someone from the Municipal Bureau escort you back to the Municipal Party Committee compound."

"I'm not going back!" Lin Chuxia instinctively grabbed Zhu Xunchuan's wrist. "That madman has his eye on you. It's too dangerous for you to go alone. I'll ask my dad to call in the SWAT team!"

Jiang Yao tugged at his sleeve: "Honey, that's an underground air-raid shelter that the Jiang family used for smuggling in the old days. The terrain inside is complicated, he must have planted people there. I'll go with you."

Zhu Xun Chuan grasped the hands of both women in return.

"good."

He uttered only one word. Then he lowered his head and planted a kiss on Jiang Yao's forehead. Immediately afterward, he turned to look at Lin Chuxia, whose eyes were filled with anxiety, and reached out to ruffle her hair.

"Listen to me. There's no need to alarm the authorities to deal with a mad dog."

Zhu Xun Chuan's skill in maintaining a delicate balance was unparalleled. His kiss and a gentle head pat instantly stripped away all the stubbornness from the two top heiresses. Looking at this man in a bathrobe, about to face his doom, they could only obediently nod.

……

It's 11 p.m.

The entrance to an abandoned underground air-raid shelter in the north of the ice city.

The iron gate rusted, and a cold wind rushed into the dark passage, echoing with a mournful sound.

Zhu Xun Chuan didn't change his clothes. He simply wore a long overcoat over his white shirt, leather shoes, and his hands in his pockets as he walked alone into the darkness.

Deep inside the air-raid shelter, it was dark and damp. The cold beam of a flashlight flickered on the dripping walls.

Jiang He sat behind a dilapidated wooden table, on which sat a black detonator. His white suit was covered in mud, and his usually honest face was now contorted with excitement.

Neatly arranged C4 plastic explosives were strapped to the load-bearing pillars of the air-raid shelter, and red signal lights flashed in the darkness.

"You didn't bring Yao Yao." Jiang He's eyes darkened when he saw Zhu Xun Chuan walk in alone.